February 2010

More thoughts on the tsunami tea party rally

February 28, 2010 by Dave Rice
Thumbnail image for More thoughts on the tsunami tea party rally

I went down to check out this whole Tea Party extravaganza today. This is my take on it, or at least a list of random thoughts I had and a list of things I saw today…

I headed down a bit late, probably should’ve been out by 10:15 instead of 10:40. Oh well. Street parking was scarce, but there were some terrific displays of capitalism, namely empty Ace parking lots charging $10 to get in. I parked a mile or so away and walked first along the bay side of Harbor drive, about 10 minutes after the 11 a.m. rally was scheduled to begin. I don’t know how many the teabaggers were claiming would attend or how many they’re going to claim did, but by my estimate they got maybe 250 – I heard some other estimates in the low 300s, which are entirely feasible too, as a few more people trickled in until noon or so.

Read the full article → 15 comments

Series of powerful waves rush over seawall, drenching surf contest spectators

February 28, 2010 by Nate Hipple
Thumbnail image for Series of powerful waves rush over seawall, drenching surf contest spectators

Local OB Rag staffer Nate Hipple captured these shots this morning…

Ocean Beach, Sunday 8:00 am.

Moments after this photo was taken, this bicyclist was knocked to the pavement by rushing water and dragged several meters along Newport Ave. After the water receded, he brushed himself off and made jokes about being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Read the full article → 9 comments

San Diego Progressives Sing at Tea Party Counter Rally

February 27, 2010 by Frank and Patty
Thumbnail image for San Diego Progressives Sing at Tea Party Counter Rally

Between cloud bursts, sixty San Diego progressives sang songs during the counter rally to the Tea Party gathering today near the Star of India.

Activists with the OB Rag and other local groups had tried to mobilize one hundred progressives to stand witness to the rally of Tea Party factions. But Mother Nature decided to drench the county and undoubtedly many stayed away due to the rain. Still, many stubborn people showed up today between 10:30 and noon just west of the County Administration building to show opposition.

Meanwhile, approximately 320 Tea partiers gathered across Harbor Drive.

Read the full article → 24 comments

Mindy Pellissier – from a dog wash to serving Ocean Beach for 17 years

February 27, 2010 by Sunshine
Thumbnail image for Mindy Pellissier – from a dog wash to serving Ocean Beach for 17 years

Meandering west along Voltaire Street I begin to notice of how truly “walkable” this area of our community is. The towering trees provide much needed fresh air and shade; the sidewalks clean and lit at night by brightly painted light poles; there are virtually no traces of doggie doo anywhere; many shops have their doors open with business in full swing. From all appearances, Voltaire Street is alive and well in this current economy.

As I approach Mindy Pellissier’s shop, Dog Beach Dog Wash, at 4933 Voltaire, I notice large coolers of fresh water perched atop custom made semi-circular wooden benches out front. They hover directly above clean dog water bowls that rest on green outdoor turf. It’s only a matter of moments before the first of many passing pooches stops for a refreshing drink of cool water.

Read the full article → 7 comments

Coffee Party activists say their brew’s a tastier choice than Tea Party’s

February 26, 2010 by Source
Thumbnail image for Coffee Party activists say their brew’s a tastier choice than Tea Party’s

Editor: Check this out. The Coffee Party movement has begun – an answer to the Tea Party movement. One of our bloggers last week in his post called for a “coffee grounds” movement. Well, his call has been answered. It is official, San Diego will have its own Coffee Party and it will form from these pages. Sign up here.

By Dan Zak /Washington Post / February 26, 2010

Furious at the tempest over the Tea Party — the scattershot citizen uprising against big government and wild spending — Annabel Park did what any American does when she feels her voice has been drowned out: She squeezed her anger into a Facebook status update.

Read the full article → 20 comments

Lots of Cooks Prepared the Compton Cookout Racial Insult Stew

February 26, 2010 by Source
Thumbnail image for Lots of Cooks Prepared the Compton Cookout Racial Insult Stew

by Earl Ofari Hutchinson/ Huffington Post / February 23, 2010

University of California, San Diego chancellor Marye Anne Fox, the president of Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity, UCSD student leaders, and a bevy of civil rights leaders, and black and minority California lawmakers leaped over each other to lambaste the now infamous Compton Cookout at UCSD as racially insulting, insensitive, and demeaning. On February 24, days after the furor broke, UCSD officials held a campus racial sensitivity teach-in to quell racial tensions on the campus.

The Compton cookout, of course, was the boneheaded stunt by a handful of white and non-white students at an off campus to mock, poke fun at, and revel in what’s presumed to be the sway and swagger of ghetto life. There’s a problem, actually, two problems with this.

Read the full article → 4 comments

Noose Found at UCSD Library – Student Admits Doing It – In response students take over Chancellor’s office

February 26, 2010 by Source
Thumbnail image for Noose Found at UCSD Library – Student Admits Doing It – In response students take over Chancellor’s office

SAN DIEGO — Student protesters have taken over the offices of University of California San Diego Chancellor Marye Anne Fox as a third racially charged episode has brought a new wave of outrage.

Students are protesting atop desks and countertops throughout Fox’s suite, except for her own sanctum. They are chanting, “Real pain, real change.” Some are playing drums.

Fox has twice addressed students today, once outside the library where a noose was found last night and once in a eucalyptus grove outside her office. Students remain upset with the pace of the administration’s response to their demand for action over ongoing racial strife.

“You can’t imagine how pained we are, we are heartsick,” Vice Chancellor Penny Rue told the students on a bullhorn.New Update: UCSD campus police and president of the regents have reported that the woman student said she had two accomplices.

Some professors have called off their classes for the day and have called for a strike and “disruptive demonstrations” at the campus in protest of the now three racial incidents.

Campus police at the University of California San Diego are questioning a student who admitted she hung a noose on the seventh floor of the university library Thursday night.

Read the full article → 20 comments

Standing Witness to the Tea Party Rally – San Diego Style

February 25, 2010 by Frank Gormlie
Thumbnail image for Standing Witness to the Tea Party Rally – San Diego Style

This Saturday, February 27th, a group of local Tea Party groups are sponsoring a rally downtown along San Diego Harbor. And San Diego progressives will be there to stand witness to this rally of tea baggers.

Nearly one hundred San Diego progressives have committed to being present at this non-violent counter-demonstration. The counter protest – really more of a show of strength than an actual protest or counter-demonstration – has been organized solely via emails and word of mouth.

This blog website the OB RAG, in conjunction with a number of other San Diego progressive and peace groups have put out the call for the counter effort; we went to cyberspace for the medium of our message. And just over a week’s time, San Diego progressives have stepped up to be witnesses to our local movement of reaction.

Read the full article → 54 comments

Another Report of the OB Town Council Forum On the Homeless

February 25, 2010 by OB Cindi
Thumbnail image for Another Report of the OB Town Council Forum On the Homeless

by OB Cindi

For those of you who need to be brought up to speed, last night from 7pm to 9pm there was an OB Town Council Meeting.

Earlier yesterday (Wed 2/24) I walked around Ocean Beach and handed out a flier to a handful of people under the pier. My flier had a map giving directions to the Masonic Temple, the time of the meeting, and a request for those the OBRag Ad Hoc Committee were representing to add their voices to the Town Council’s issue on homeless.

I asked about a dozen youth to come to the meeting to talk about their experience and to help push for a local shelter/camp city and more restrooms.

As the meeting started, I took a seat amongst the youth as I had promised–I practice and preach tolerance and coexistence.

The meeting kicked off with people running for various districts pushing their platforms.

Read the full article → 101 comments

OB Library Stays Open But Hours Are Cut

February 25, 2010 by Mary E. Mann
Thumbnail image for OB Library Stays Open But Hours Are Cut

This year, the city of San Diego was obliged to trim 3.8 million dollars from the library budget. 3.8 million dollars. To put that in perspective, that’s roughly 760,000 used books off of Amazon. That’s one library, right there.

The Ocean Beach library seemed particularly vulnerable to these cuts, given its proximity to the larger but less centrally located Point Loma Library. Throughout the past few years of budget cuts and closing scares, the Ocean Beach community has spoken quite loudly and clearly against the closing of the small Ocean Beach branch on the corner of Santa Monica and Sunset Cliffs.

Read the full article → 7 comments

Impressions of OB Town Council Forum

February 25, 2010 by Dan Morales

by Danny Morales

The day of the community journalist has arrived in Ocean Beach. The blogger/activists of the OB Rag gave the Ocean Beach Town Council and the community at large a healthy dose of solutions, unity and peoples advocacy.

Last night’s meeting – double-billed as a forum for Ocean Beach Planning Board candidates and homeless discussion – started its civic booster rockets in red glare style. Firing up with a pledge of allegiance and a lineup of the usual suspects, the meeting had me looking over my shoulder from the get go. Not that I was wary of who was using the bathroom for what but when the mooks from the “I agree with everything the police do to get the varmints outta town” society got up from chuckling about the “Trolls Verboten” flier to stand at my rear, did the hair on my neck stand up.

Read the full article → 23 comments

Live blogging at OB Town Council Meeting

February 24, 2010 by Frank and Patty

The OB Town Council is holding a meeting tonight at the Masonic Temple,which includes a candidate forum for candidates of the OB Planning Board, plus a public forum on homeless.

Two of our bloggers, Cindi and Lane, are texting us and we will be sharing with you what they report:

7:23 pm LANE: handful of PB candidates that sit on TC as well –

7:16 – there is a woman speaking … she says she handles homeless issues like vandalism, drunk in public, … insinuating that only homeless do these things.

7:11 – they are allowing the homeless youth to submit speaker requests! they are going to hear our voice!

7:10 pm – talking about housing workshop, student loan workshop, but my thought is what about the homeless shelter workshop?

7:08 pm – The meeting just started !

Read the full article → 2 comments

Tea Party Hypocrites – San Diego Style

February 24, 2010 by Anna Daniels
Thumbnail image for Tea Party Hypocrites – San Diego Style

On Saturday, February 27, a number of our fellow citizens will take publicly funded roads to a public park to participate in a Tea Party rally at which our publicly funded police force will maintain law and order if necessary. Once our fellow citizens arrive, they will rail against the unfair redistribution of wealth and the size of government.
Hypocrisy In Action

Of course it is that very redistribution of wealth which provides them with those roads, that park, those police. And it is that very redistribution of wealth that provides their “entitlements” of Medicare, Veteran Benefits, and Social Security; that provides their children with public education, parks and recreation centers and libraries. The Tea Party comes with an enormous side of hypocrisy.

It is statistically probable that 95% of those in attendance received a tax cut under the Obama administration.

Read the full article → 45 comments

Nearly 2,000 Students Walk Out of UCSD Teach-In

February 24, 2010 by Source

Thousands of students and administrators attended a “teach-in” at UC San Diego Wednesday to address a recent ghetto-themed party intended to mock Black History Month and the racial unrest it sparked on campus, but the event was disrupted when the bulk of students in attendance walked out.

About an hour into the event at the university’s student center, two female students with the Black Student Union stood up and blasted the teach-in, with one saying, “The university and our community will not be fixed by a two-hour teach-in.”

Saying the university was doing little to address racism on campus, the pair urged their fellow students in the packed auditorium and overflow room to march out of the event, and the vast majority complied. The students filed out of the auditorium, loudly chanting “Whose university? Our university!”

Read the full article → 1 comment

TV Show “Terriers” Looking for Local OB Extras

February 24, 2010 by Frank Gormlie
Thumbnail image for TV Show “Terriers” Looking for Local OB Extras

The TV cop show, Terriers, is currently filming in OB. And they are looking for local extras. They are filming a pilot plus a second episode. This all according to Ted, the owner of Old Town Restaurant on Newport.

Read the full article → 5 comments

There’s racism at UCSD … now there’s intolerance against the homeless in OB

February 23, 2010 by Frank Gormlie

For the past week, we’ve heard about the racism up at UCSD with the “Compton Cookout” and a student TV show. Now, we have intolerance against the homeless in Ocean Beach , a community widely known for its tolerance.

Fliers being handed out over the last several days in OB have called for the eviction of homeless youth from the community. Calling for “Trolls out of OB”, these fliers have been handed out by unknown persons to homeless travelers and other people down at the foot of Newport Avenue.

This blatant display of intolerance comes on the eve of a public forum on homelessness called by the OB Town Council. This forum will be held on Wednesday, February 24th at the Masonic Temple on Sunset Cliffs.

Read the full article → 79 comments

Mom, the Woman I Got Whether I Chose Her or Not

February 23, 2010 by Ernie McCray
Thumbnail image for Mom, the Woman I Got Whether I Chose Her or Not

There is a belief in some cultures that we choose our parents before we are born and maybe that’s true.

All I can say is I’m glad I ended up with the mother I got. In my way of reminiscing, it seems I can remember our very first moments together with me in her womb all kicked back and relaxed, as I had been for nine months, when unexpectedly, on April 18th, 1938, something gripped me like a cook squeezing chorizo from its hull. And the next thing I knew this woman who had soothed me throughout all those months of the good and cozy life, this woman who had hummed and sung lullabies and spirituals that oozed such gentle soul – this woman was now screaming as though her hair was being snatched from her scalp.

Read the full article → 10 comments

Was the Compton Cookout an Expression of Free Speech?

February 22, 2010 by Patty Jones
Thumbnail image for Was the Compton Cookout an Expression of Free Speech?

We just watched a 10News broadcast that showed the results of poll they did regarding the “Compton Cookout” and whether folks thought the people throwing this party were exercising their right to free speech. I was pretty astounded to see the 53% agreed. My first thought was that anyone who said yes didn’t actually read the invitation, didn’t hear the actual words used to describe this event.

The following was supposedly posted as a Facebook event invitation, read it and tell us whether you think it’s an expression of free speech, or not.
—————–
February marks a very important month in American society. No, i’m not referring to Valentines day or Presidents day. I’m talking about Black History month. As a time to celebrate and in hopes of showing respect, the Regents community cordially invites you to its very first Compton Cookout.

Read the full article → 48 comments

38 Years ago today: February 22, 1974 – the Day Ocean Beach Became an Armed Police State

February 22, 2010 by Frank Gormlie
Thumbnail image for 38 Years ago today: February 22, 1974 – the Day Ocean Beach Became an Armed Police State

Originally posted February 22, 2009

OCEAN BEACH, CA. Exactly 36 38 years ago today, on February 22, 1974 – all hell broke loose in Ocean Beach – and for many of the seventies generation, this day will always live on in their memory as a day of infamy – the day the world came crashing down on our little seaside community. It was the day that Pete Mahone, a politicized ex-convict and member of OB’s anti-Vietnam war community, tried to commit suicide by cop. It was also the breaking point in police-community relations, relations that had been simmering for years.

Read the full article → 29 comments

OB Rag Blogger Debuts At the Voice of San Diego

February 22, 2010 by Doug Porter

Welcome to my first shot at contributing to voiceofsandiego.org.

Some of you may know of me via the articles I’ve written about education, politics and the state of the media for other online publications.

I have to warn you now that we won’t be focusing on those subjects in this column, which I hope to crank out on a regular basis. At FoodCraft I’ll be talking about the people and places that are evolving that connect to that most basic of all human instincts, feeding ourselves. The difference between this post and, say, a column about foodie restaurants, or locavorism, or organic farms is that FoodCraft is about all of the above.

Read the full article → 5 comments

Classified Ad Listings, by OB for OB!

February 21, 2010 by Patty Jones
Thumbnail image for Classified Ad Listings, by OB for OB!

We must be crazy…. but we’re going to give this a shot!

We’re not looking to be another Craig’s List so we’re going to start small with just a few categories:

* Jobs – Help Wanted and Jobs Wanted
* Housing – For Rent and Roommates
* Services – legit services offered by individuals
* Stuff – for sale, for trade, for free!

It’s very simple to post a listing, just post a comment under the section where you want to place an ad. As always, type your name & email address in the appropriate boxes, then type your listing in the comment box. Make sure you include some kind of contact information in the big comment box, the email address you put in the small box IS NOT VISIBLE to the public.

Read the full article → 5 comments

A “Traveler” Speaks Out

February 21, 2010 by Source
Thumbnail image for A “Traveler” Speaks Out

Editor: The following was originally two comments left by Camper, a young, dread-locked traveler. We decided to post it – with some editing – as one article. This, in the midst of some local OB hate mongering – as we have been told that someone is passing out fliers that say “Trolls go home.” Here, then, in his own words, ….

by Camper

So my name is Camper. My side of the story might strike your interest as I may be the first traveler to take the time and let you know where I’m coming from.

I’m from Detroit, Michigan and have been traveling for quite sometime. How long does not matter. Long enough to go from being that kid that every OB local can’t really stand, the kid in patchwork clothes panhandling for nothing but booze money, to someone who simply cares for his freedom, and wants a lifestyle not created by small group of narrow minded men.

Read the full article → 29 comments

More Reflections On Why California Is So Broke

February 21, 2010 by Source
Thumbnail image for More Reflections On Why California Is So Broke

Editor: It seems there is a renewed interest in why our great state is so broke. Here, we are re-posting two articles from last Spring.

by David Dayen / Calitics / May 27, 2009
Despite his admission that California is ungovernable, the Governor soldiered on today, announcing the full slate of revised budget cuts to replace his proposed borrowing, since scrapped, and to fill the even larger deficit estimated by the Legislative Analyst. As expected, the Governor called for eliminating the CalWORKS program for the poor, eliminating Healthy Families to provide health insurance to poor children, and phasing out the Cal Grants program which provides financial aid to California students. But that’s not all. As Noreen Evans says, the Governor’s cuts “dismantle the New Deal.” Here are some of the lowlights in these 25 distinct cuts:

Read the full article → 1 comment

Ten Lessons for Tea Baggers

February 21, 2010 by Source
Thumbnail image for Ten Lessons for Tea Baggers

1. President Obama Cut Your Taxes

As in April, the Tea Baggers continued to display their fundamental misunderstanding of U.S. history and the American Revolution. Apparently, the right-wing zealots are outraged by no taxation with representation.

As promised, Barack Obama in the stimulus package delivered on his pledge of tax relief for 95% of American households. Obama’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) didn’t only jump start gross domestic product and refill empty state coffers in the second quarter of 2009. As Nate Silver thoroughly documented, “Obama has cut taxes for 98.6% of working households.”

Nevertheless, raging Tea Baggers spouting Republican Tax Day lies took to the streets not to thank the President, but to blame him for the tax cuts they received.

Read the full article → 7 comments

More on the rich, the middle class, taxes and the tea baggers

February 20, 2010 by Dave Rice
Thumbnail image for More on the rich, the middle class, taxes and the tea baggers

“Perfectly Legal” by David Cay Johnston and “What’s the Matter With Kansas?” by Thomas Frank – great starting points on what’s f’ed up with our current tax system and why the wealthy have been able to sell a good chunk of the middle class on keeping things in their current atrocious state. I’ll lend either to anyone who’s interested, wouldn’t mind swinging by to pick them up, and promises to either return them or pass them on to someone else.

Class warfare isn’t about rich vs. poor, it’s about middle class vs. poor. The people who are truly rich don’t really care one way or another, they have enough for themselves and that’s all that matters. Look at Barron Hilton – he’s ran the hotel chain his family built into the ground but he’s got enough money that he’ll never run out and his kids don’t even have to bother trying to make anything of themselves ever. And if (shudder) they have kids, same deal.

Read the full article → 52 comments

Was Racist Incident at UCSD For Real? Or Was It Staged by Black Rapper?

February 20, 2010 by Frank Gormlie
Thumbnail image for Was Racist Incident at UCSD For Real? Or Was It Staged by Black Rapper?

As an alumnus of UCSD and veteran of the 1969 student strike over the University’s policies toward minority students, I found this week’s report of a UCSD fraternity off-campus party called the “Compton Cook-out” particularly disturbing. The party was a mock-down of ghetto culture – in the middle of Black History Month.

And then the report of the student group Koala’s campus video program promoting that event, with the use of derogatory racist language, plus a hand-written sign that was discovered with the words “Compton Lynching,” equally disturbing.

Read the full article → 42 comments

Answers to some common OB planning questions

February 20, 2010 by Source

by Seth Connolly

As someone who serves on the Ocean Beach Planning Board and who may or may not run again, I will answer some common questions about planning as a private citizen right now.

First, a quick clarification about our role in the process. We are not charged with writing code or determining funding and certainly not whether large-scale transportation projects take place.

Our role is to give a voice to the community on land use and development issues and to make recommendations in an advisory capacity to the City on specific projects or land use issues. We operate according to our own Precise Plan, first and foremost, which is in the process of being updated. We are not there to enforce zoning so much as we are another set of eyes on it.

Read the full article → 6 comments

OB Planning: Brief Breakdown of the Board

February 19, 2010 by Frank Gormlie
Thumbnail image for OB Planning: Brief Breakdown of the Board

With the upcoming OB Planning Board election on March 9th, and the Town Council’s planning board candidate forum on Feb 24th, we thought it would be swell if we got to know the current Board members and the candidates.

The problem is that there is not a whole lot of information out there (Planning Board website and Google) on some folks – which I indicate below. (As more info on certain individuals becomes known, I’ll add it to this post via the comments. )

The Ocean Beach Planning Board covers, of course, the OB Planning area, which is broken down into 7 districts, and each district has two seats on the Board.

Read the full article → 10 comments

Should Progressives Confront Up-Coming Tea Party Rally?

February 17, 2010 by Frank Gormlie
Thumbnail image for Should Progressives Confront Up-Coming Tea Party Rally?

Should San Diego progressives hold a counter-demonstration at the up-coming Tea Party rally? This is the question for San Diegans with a conscience.

Local Tea Baggers will be staging an event on Saturday, February 27th. Local right-wing radio pundit, former felon and mayor, Roger Hedgecock will be the keynote speaker. The rally will be held from 11 am to 1 pm, just north of the Star of India along Harbor Drive.

Read the full article → 96 comments

OB Town Council to Hold Planning Board Candidate Forum and Discussion On the Homeless

February 17, 2010 by Frank Gormlie
Thumbnail image for OB Town Council to Hold Planning Board Candidate Forum and Discussion On the Homeless

The Ocean Beach Town Council will be hosting a Candidate Forum for OB Planning Board candidates and then during the same meeting, the Council will sponsor a public discussion on the homeless.

This logistically challenging event will be on February 24th, at the Town Council’s monthly meeting. It will be held at the Masonic Temple, located at 1711 Sunset Cliffs Boulevard.

Read the full article → 20 comments

← Older Articles